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4 December 2012
Fiery volcanos seed lightning-generating ice
Volcanic eruptions conjure up images of huge fiery explosions, searing hot magma and charred, decimated landscapes. But some eruptions also create something very different: ice crystals. In a poster presented at the American Geophysical Union’s Fall Meeting Monday, atmospheric physicist Arthur Few of Rice University in Houston tied these ice crystals to volcanic lightning, and figured out how they form
5 October 2012
Rare upward lightning videos reveal potential downward triggers
Meteorologists have documented upward lightning, which travels upward from the ground to the clouds, since 1939, but they remain puzzled about how it happens. Now, one research team’s analysis of high-speed video taken in Rapid City, South Dakota, captures a possible clue: a downward flash that preceded most upward lightning filmed by the observers.
12 June 2012
Volcanic lightning examined through ash grains
GeoSpace is in Selfoss, Iceland this week, reporting from AGU’s Chapman Conference on Volcanism and the Atmosphere. Check back for posts on the science presented at the meeting, as well as field trips to nearby volcanoes and geologic features. Selfoss, Iceland — The awesome sight of explosive volcanic eruptions occasionally includes a light show as well. Lightning can be sparked throughout the eruption – as the ash, rocks and gases …
9 December 2011
Spacecraft detects lightning on Venus
The goddess Venus radiates beauty; the planet Venus radiates electromagnetic waves. These waves were picked up the Venus Express, a European satellite orbiting Earth’s nearby twin, and provide evidence of lightning in its atmosphere.
15 December 2010
Lightning could help warn aircraft of volcanic eruptions
Some volcanic eruptions emit lightning–volcanic plumes are a lot like dirty thunderclouds. Scientists wonder: Could this lightning be used to help warn airplane pilots of volcanic eruptions so they can avoid ash?
GeoSpace is a blog on Earth and space science, managed by AGU’s Public Information staff. The blog features posts by AGU writers and guest contributors on all sorts of relevant science topics, but with a focus on new research and geo and space sciences-related stories that are currently in the news.